AMX Fighter Bomber Aircraft

The AMX fighter-bomber aircraft is in service with the air forces of Brazil, Italy and Venezuela. the first AMX aircraft was delivered to the Italian Air Force in January 1989 and to the Brazilian Air Force in 1990. Production concerned assembly lines in Italy and Brazil.

The main role of the AMX is ground attack in visual and marginal weather conditions, with primary roles in long range strike and air interdiction, close air support, reconnaissance and armed patrol. The aircraft additionally highly effective in air defence missions and the lead-in fighter role. Italian Air Force AMX fighters were deployed as a part of the Nato forces in Operation Allied Force against Serbia in 1999.

The AMX can carry external loads up to 3,800kg. The aircraft has seven hardpoints: one on the centreline of the underside of the fuselage, two hardpoints below every wing and wingtip rails on every wing. The aircraft can carry air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, free-fall bombs, retarded bombs, laser-guided bombs, cluster bombs, precision-guided munitions and rocket launchers.

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Brazil F-X Fighter Aircraft Program

One of Brazil's most important military modernization efforts is the new generation F-X fighter program. On November 4, 2007 the F-X Project was revived. In January 2008, Brazil’s President Lula authorized Brazilian Air Force Commander Juniti Saito to restart the long-delayed F-X fighter replacement program. As of late 2008 a decision was to be made in March 2009, with a final contract award in October of 2009. But in 2011 Brazil postponed the expected purchase to 2012, citing the need for budget cuts in 2011 due to the deteriorating world economy.

Now known as Project FX-2 and with a bigger budget, the initial competitors for acquisition were the Eurofighter Typhoon, Sukhoi Su-35, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and, although information on Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II was requested, Lockheed Martin presented an F-16 Fighting Falcon variant (designated F-16BR). In October 2008 Brazil's F-X2 fighter competition eliminated three of the six bidders as the focus shifts to scrutinising the technology transfer and offset proposals for each of the finalists Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was a finalist along with the French Rafale and the Swedish Gripen. Five criteria will be used to make a decision: the quality of the platform, the technology being offered, the training being offered, the price, and the life-cycle cost.

Source : www.globalsecurity.org

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